COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 3, 2012) – Several U.S. beach volleyball players were honored with post-season awards for their performances on the 2012 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour.

In voting by players, coaches, referees and officials on the international pro beach volleyball circuit, Kerri Walsh Jennings (Saratoga, Calif.) was named the women’s Most Outstanding Player of 2012 as well as the Sportsperson of the Year, Best Blocker and Best Hitter.

Walsh Jennings and partner Misty May-Treanor (Santa Monica, Calif.) tied as the Most Inspirational players of 2012. Among other U.S. women’s players, April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) was named Best Server.

For Walsh Jennings, it was the second time she was selected the most outstanding player, the sixth time she was picked the best blocker and second straight time, and fourth time picked as the best hitter. It was also Walsh Jennings’s second straight year voted most inspirational and May-Treanor’s first time.

Finishing their season with 32-7 match record with an 82.1 winning percentage, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings capped their illustrious career as a team by winning their third consecutive Olympic gold medal in August in London.

In their FIVB career as a team, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings played in 77 events earning 40 gold medals, 14 silver medals and six bronze medals with $1,941,400 in FIVB career earnings as a team.

On the men’s side, Phil Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, Fla.) was selected as the year’s Best Blocker, Best Offensive Player and Best Setter.

“It’s a great thing to have this kind of respect from your peers especially when you know you had a pretty tough season with a bitter disappointment being upset in the Olympics and only finishing in ninth place,” Dalhausser told the FIVB. “Todd and I have had several great seasons together and he has earned his ‘professor’ nickname teaching me so much over all these years. I wouldn’t have been in a position to earn these awards if I hadn’t learned the lessons that Todd has taught me and I thank him for all his has done to help me take my game to a higher level.”

Dalhausser and Sean Rosenthal (Redondo Beach, Calif.), who was picked as the 2012 Most Outstanding Player, have announced that they will play together in 2013.

Rosenthal and Jake Gibb (Bountiful, Utah), who have been teammates since 2006, were selected as the 2012 Team of the Year after winning the 2012 FIVB SWATCH World Tour season point championship.

Dalhausser, who has played 58 career FIVB tournaments with Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.) through 2012, won the best blocker award for the fifth time, the best offensive player for the fourth time, and best setter accolade for the fourth straight year. Dalhausser and Rogers, who were the 2008 Olympic champions and the 2007 world champions, finished the 2012 season with a 44-12 record and a 78.6 winning percentage.

In their FIVB career, Dalhausser and Rogers played in 58 tournaments earning 23 gold medals, seven silver medals and 10 bronze medals with FIVB career earnings as a team of $1,422,600.

In the process of winning their awards, Gibb and Rosenthal had a championship season to remember. In their eight best events that qualified them for the season title, the duo won two gold medals, two silver medals, one bronze medal, with two fourth place finishes and one fifth.

In Rome, Italy and Gstaad, Switzerland this summer, Gibb and Rosenthal earned back-to-back gold medal match victories over Brazil’s Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego. After placing fifth in the London 2012 Olympic Games, Gibb and Rosenthal finished the season with a 56-21 overall match record and a 72.7 winning percentage.

For more information on the 2012 FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour, please visit www.fivb.org.